Image: NASA / Instagram
Doha, Qatar: Coinciding with Christmas celebrations, NASA shared on its Instagram account a capture of "Christmas Tree Cluster," officially designated as NGC 2264.
Discovered approximately 2,500 light-years away from Earth, the Christmas Tree Cluster is a captivating assembly of young stars, predominantly aged between 1 to 5 million years, as per NASA's observations.
Resembling a triangular green Christmas tree adorned with blue and white 'ornaments' made of stars, the Christmas Tree Cluster presents a breathtaking view against the cosmic backdrop.
This stellar display, filled with varying shades of blue and white stars, creates a holiday-themed spectacle in the vastness of space.
“These stars give off X-rays that were picked up by our orbiting NASAChandraXRay observatory, and are depicted here in various shades of blue and white,” NASA captioned the photo.
“They’re surrounded by a nebula of gas observed by other telescopes, shown here in green, giving this cluster (officially known as NGC 2264) its memorable nickname,” the space agency added.
